Isle of the Turtle Hermit
by Criann Onasi
Summary: Bulma is a tomb raider after a mysterious artifact known as the Dragonballs. But she's not the only one interested in the D-balls. Before she can claim the dragonballs she has to face 'the demon' that protects them. Guess who the demon is? :-)
1. Default Chapter

Isle of the Turtle Hermit  
  
Prologue  
  
The waters were murky and cold. It was only early August but the waters of the North Atlantic were chilly enough to create goose bumps even through the wet suit. The suit was made especially for her by the renowned A.A. company. It had cost her a little fortune but what else was she going to do with all the money she had. Being the richest woman in the world had its perks.  
  
It was getting darker as she went deeper. Fortunately she was always prepared. 'I better light my flare now,' she thought as she reached back to grab one. Zane had warned her about these underwater caves. Lots of sharp turns and outcroppings. Many divers had came down here to try to do exactly what she was doing, and failed. There was no guarantee that she could do any better but it was a risk she was willing to take. Plus, she never liked to give up.  
  
The special underwater flare helped...a little, but she was still straining to see. Slowly she moved forward with only a foot visible in front of her. The caves were endless it seemed. It would be easy to lose her way but she was careful to put markers every once in a while so she could always find her way back. A sudden dip in the ceiling forced her to go even deeper. She checked her air tank. Only 20 minutes left. Barely enough time for her to reach her destination and get back up to the surface.  
  
She continued on, swimming a bit faster now as she neared her prize. It had taken her a long time to get to this point. She had spent hours, days in her library searching for clues often coming up with nothing. Other times dead ends. But this time she was sure this was the spot. She had a crude map of the caves drawn by a former diver and treasure hunter but it wasn't proving to be of much use especially when she could barely see her hand in front of her face.  
  
Suddenly she heard a whoosh below her. She only paused for a second knowing she had a limited supply of oxygen left. Cautiously she took out her harpoon gun and swam forward. A dark shape lurked underneath her but how far and how dangerous she couldn't tell just yet. The flare she was holding would probably attract whatever was down there but she couldn't afford to let it go because then she wouldn't be able to see. With the gun in one arm and the flare in the other she moved as fast as she could.  
  
Finally she made it to the opening. She spit out her mouthpiece and took in a deep breath. There wasn't much oxygen in that air pocket but enough to last a few minutes. She climbed out onto the ledge and took off her tank. The inscriptions on the wall were faint but she could still make out some of the symbols. Basically they told her to hang a left and keep on going. The pathway was extremely narrow; thank goodness she always kept up her delicate figure.  
  
High above she saw a glint of light. That must be it, she thought as she looked around for a place to grab on. She climbed up the steep ledges carefully until she was eye to eye with the artifact. With a great big smile she took the bronze plate out of the wall and placed it in her trusty backpack. Seconds later the walls began to shake and without any further hesitation she climbed down. As she moved forward she began to feel more and more claustrophobic. Looking up she noticed that the ceiling was much lower than it was before. In fact, the ceiling was getting lower and lower as she continued on. She started to dash through the narrow pathway, her legs and arms getting scratched up badly. She could see the exit and she dived through. Moments later the whole path was gone...but at least she got it.  
  
"You better be worth it," she said with a grin. With her scuba gear back on she dived underwater forgetting all about the 'thing' that was lurking there earlier. As she exited the caves she pulled out a little buoy and launched it towards the surface. The ship would come around to that spot so she could get in quickly.  
  
Out of nowhere a dark shape swooped in front of her and swallowed the buoy. She reached back for the harpoon gun and steadied herself for a clear shot. Whatever it was, it was moving pretty fast, too fast for her to track it. She calmed her body and tried to feel for the pressure changes around her. She felt a slight nudge to her right indicating something was moving towards her from that direction. She aimed sightlessly and fired hoping to reach the intended target. Seconds later she heard a loud squeal and a splash of blood developed in front of her. Hopefully next time that thing would know to leave Bulma Briefs alone.  
  
She made it to the surface with a minute left of air in her tank. Raising her arms out of the water she signaled for her ship. When they picked her up she put away her scuba gear and took a nice hot shower.  
  
"So, find what you wanted, love?" asked Zane, the captain of the boat.  
  
"Yes," she replied curtly. She walked to the closet, grabbed some fresh clothes, and walked back into the bathroom. His eyes never left her half- wet body although it was irritatingly wrapped up in a huge towel. He had tried to get his hands on her (literally) a few times but got turned down every freakin' time.  
  
He peered into a nearby mirror and remarked to his vain ego, "I am a god." Not a flaw could be seen in his perfect skin and hair. He was beginning to suspect that maybe she was a lesbian. That would be the only excuse why she would be turning him down. A lonely, rich girl out at sea for months without male companionship...yup she must be one of those.  
  
"Why are you still doing here?" she asked firmly as she stepped out all decked out in her usual outdoor outfit. Only thing missing was her trusty pistols which she quickly grabbed and placed in their spot along her thighs. 'Always be prepared,' was her motto.  
  
"I just wanted to get a look at the thing we been searchin' for for the last 4 months. Is that so much to ask?" he said jovially. He tried to get near her but she backed away.  
  
"Yes, it is. Now leave. I'm not paying you to keep me company," she stated flatly. He had seemed all right when she had first met him but these months at sea had changed him. Maybe his little willie wasn't getting enough circulation.  
  
"Hey, love, you don't have to pay me for that. I'll do it for free," he said and then growled. Yes, he actually growled...at her...and frankly she was far from being interested.  
  
She drew out her pistols and pointed at his head. "Leave. Now," was all she said and the look on her face said that she was not kidding.  
  
"Hold it now, I'll leave. No need to get testy, now," he said with his hands in the air. "But word of advice, sweetheart, you'll never get a man with that attitude...or do you prefer the other side?"  
  
She frowned. "What? Get out of here," she said trying to keep her voice down to a polite level. With a half-smile and a goofy wave he finally left. It was guys like him that made her think she would never find someone right for her. Every guy she'd met wanted only one thing or maybe sometimes two, her body or her money.  
  
She put her pistols away and reached for her backpack. The plate was made of bronze possibly from the middle bronze age circa 1100 B.C. She couldn't be sure until she brought it back to her lab and have her technicians work on it. It would make a nice addition to her growing collection. She flipped it over. The back had unusual markings, a language she couldn't decipher off the top of her head. The only symbol she recognized was the word 'wish.'  
  
'Hmm, did this artifact have wishing capabilities?' she thought. But there was not much she could do at the moment except speculate so she put it away and went out to get some fresh air. Soon she would be back home again at Capsule Mansion. She was often away for months at a time but every time she still felt a tinge of homesickness.  
  
----------  
  
An hour later...  
  
The skies were clear and it was smooth sailing for the crew. She was lounging out on the deck with a nice cup of cocoa and a pair of shades imported from Italy when all of a sudden the boat rocked violently to one side. She lost her balance and fell to the floor siding towards the edge but at the last second she managed to grab the rail.  
  
"Pirates!" someone yelled from high above.  
  
'Pirates?' she thought. She got back onto her feet and looked across. There was another vessel next to hers and it was closing in fast. They were launching something at her ship. 'Maybe they're after the artifact,' she thought as she ran downstairs to her quarters. Quickly she grabbed her backpack and some ammo and dashed out. The ship rocked again but this time she could hear cracking sounds. They must have torn a hole in the side. If not, they were going to sooner or later with whatever it was they were throwing at her.  
  
"Abandon ship!" a crewmate yelled at the top of his lungs then dove out into the sea.  
  
'I hope he remembered to put on a life jacket,' she thought as she headed for the raft. It was hidden beneath the lounge deck and locked with a secret code only she knew. The others could use the lifeboats, if they were smart enough.  
  
"Open sesame seeds," she said and a square panel slid open. It was also voice-activated so no one but her could open it. She pushed the red button which released her raft from the side of the ship but it was too late. Some of the 'pirates' landed on the boat.  
  
"Hand over the artifact and no one gets hurt," one of the men said. She slowly rose with her hands in the air. By the sound of the clicks she imagined they were carrying semi-automatic weapons. She tilted her head to get a look at them and then her body followed.  
  
One of them let out a sharp whistle. "She's a looker, ain't she," he crudely remarked. They had masks on their faces so she couldn't tell who was robbing her. "Now hand it over, nice and easy, girl."  
  
She smirked and reached back into her pack. "You mean this?" she asked holding up the plate.  
  
"You got the idea. Maybe if you're real nice we'll even let you go scot free," one of them said with a gruff laugh. She tilted her head and laughed with them. "What are you laughing for?"  
  
"Oh, nothing, just this," she said and she tossed the plate overboard.  
  
"What?!" they shouted. While they were distracted she pulled out her guns and started firing. A few ended up dead and the others scattered to find shelter. She rolled away from the barrage of bullets and found a safe spot for herself also. She took a deep breath then stood up and fired continuously from her twin weapons while running towards the other end of the ship. She paused there and waited looking for a way out. Suddenly she heard voices; they were coming her way. Swiftly she reached up and swung herself up and over to the roof. The men rounded the corner to find an empty spot. She aimed down and fired. Two more dead and only one more left to go.  
  
"Ms. Briefs, I have to hand it to you, you're a very clever woman," said the leader who was now standing behind her with the gun pointed at her back. She laid her guns down on the ground and stood back up. "It's too bad you had to throw your only ticket of salvation into the sea because now I have no choice but to kill you."  
  
She smirked. "That's easier said than done," she said and immediately ducked swinging her leg around to catch his knees. He grunted and lost his balance for a split second but enough time for her to reach up and elbow him in the arm causing him to lose his gun. Then she did a roundabout kick to his head knocking him close to unconsciousness.  
  
She grabbed his hair and pulled him upward. "Looks like we have switched roles, ne? Now why don't you be a good boy and tell me who you're working for," she said keeping him in a tight grip.  
  
"N-Never," he choked out. He squirmed a little trying to break free and she just gave him another knock in the stomach causing him to groan loudly.  
  
"Next time I'll go even lower," she threatened and his face paled slightly.  
  
"Okay, okay. His name is Morrigan. He deals in antiques, you know the black market stuff. That's all I know," he said.  
  
"How can I get in contact with him?" she probed further. He was silent until she grabbed one of her pistols and aimed it at a sensitive area.  
  
"Idon'tknow!" he yelled in a high voice. "I swear. We only talk to him through the cell phone. He usually contacts us, no questions asked, you know."  
  
She decided to take his word on that. "Well, if he gets in touch with you tell him to stay out of my business or else," she said then with a swift punch she rendered him unconscious. She picked up her other pistol and jumped into her raft below. The plate was waiting for her right in the center of the raft, a perfect throw. Then she started up the motor and headed for shore.  
  
When she reached the shoreline she left the raft where it was and made her way into the nearby town on foot. From there she hailed a cab and drove the rest of the way to her home.  
  
"Welcome home, Ms. Briefs," her butler greeted her.  
  
"It's nice to be home," she replied donning off her gear. The butler caught them in his arms and followed her to her bedroom. "Anything interesting at home?"  
  
"No, no. It was business as usual. And how was your trip?" he asked. They had reached the door to her quarters which was situated in the west wing.  
  
She turned her head around, grabbed her gear, and calmly said, "Oh, business as usual."  
  
He nodded, "Ah, I see. Well, shall I make you some tea then?"  
  
"You know I don't drink tea," she said leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"Well, one never knows when one will change her mind?"  
  
She smiled. "Coffee please, black with two sugars," she said and shut the door.  
  
He walked off muttering, "It was worth a try."  
  
-----------  
  
Bulma was in her study trying to decipher the strange writings on the backside of the plate. There was a short knock at the door then soon after her butler walked in with her drink. He looked at the desk which at the moment was cluttered with papers and cleared some away to make room for the tray.  
  
"Thank you, Hilary," she stated, her attention firmly concentrated on the textbook in front of her.  
  
"Will that be all, Ms. Briefs?" he asked and she merely nodded. He took that as his sign to leave and so he did just that.  
  
It was well into the night and she was still working on the symbols. Hilary poked his nosy head in every once in a while to ask how she was doing but the answer was always the same. She was fine. He worried too much, but ever since her father had passed away he had been her primary caregiver. Many times he treated her like his own daughter rather than a boss. She made a mental note to herself to do something nice for him soon.  
  
"Any progress?" he asked. She looked up. He had this weird way of being there without her notice.  
  
"Yes, some," she said and gestured him to enter. He was also a very curious person which sometimes can be annoying. "See this here, it says something like 'beware of the curse.' And down here it talks of an eternal dragon and one wish."  
  
"Hmm, interesting," he said nodding his head as if he could read the symbols himself.  
  
"Now I've been working on this section for the past hour and the only thing I can get out of it is the words 'turtle hermit' which doesn't make any sense."  
  
Then something came to Hilary's mind. "You know my grandmother told me of an old legend long ago about a hermit that lived with a turtle. She picked it up during her trip around the Caribbean. She was an adventurer, sort of like you but not as dangerous. She visited so many exotic places like this one summer I actually went with her to Nica--"  
  
She coughed loudly and deliberately.  
  
"Well, anyways, to get back to my point, the legend went something like this. Long ago there used to be a guy called the turtle man because his back was shaped like a tortoise-shell. He was mocked daily by his people, even his own mother rejected him so he decided to go out into the world and find his kind of people or something like that. And during his journey a huge storm came out of nowhere and it sank his little boat, but fortunately he was able to get to a deserted island. He looked around and found there was plenty of food and water there so he decided to make that island his home and in time befriends a female turtle and they lived happily ever after," he said leaning back on the chair.  
  
"Hmm," she said thinking hard. "Do you know what part of the Caribbean your grandmother heard that from?"  
  
"Uh, no, unfortunately," he responded with a shrug.  
  
"Guess I'll have to go there myself and find out," she said nonchalantly.  
  
"So soon? You only just got back," he stated.  
  
She didn't listen to him, as usual. "Book the earliest flight, first class, of course."  
  
"Of course," he nodded and left the room sighing.  
  
Talking of legends made her think and she reached for one of her many world mythology books. She looked up the name Morrigan.  
  
"Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war," she read aloud, "often assumes the shape of a crow or a raven. How interesting. I have this feeling that this Morrigan is a she not a he." But only time would tell if she was correct or not. Also she would have to watch her back during her next trip. It seemed there was someone else interested in the legend of the turtle hermit.  
  
------------ A/N: How do you like the story so far? 


	2. Caribbean Paradise

Isle of the Turtle Hermit  
  
Chapter 1: Caribbean Paradise  
  
"One, two..." she quietly counted to herself. "Ready, go." With that she took off in a sprint; the door was closing fast. She pushed off with her feet and slid through the narrow gap. The entrance closed behind her but she didn't have long to dawdle as metal spikes started to protrude from the sides. She flipped several times and jumped over the hole in the ground. Immediately as she landed she pulled out her guns. A dark figure arose from the side and she targeted and fired while running forward.  
  
"Oof," she muttered as she tripped over a rock. She barely had time to roll away as a spike came down right where she had been previously. Standing up she fired both her guns. Once the dust cleared there wasn't an enemy in sight. She cautiously moved forward, looking side to side and pointing her guns. Suddenly she heard a noise behind her and she turned around ready to shoot.  
  
"Don't shoot me!" shouted Hilary with his silver tray blocking his face.  
  
"You could have been killed," she remarked putting her guns away.  
  
He let out a big sigh of relief. "That was close," he said.  
  
"You know better than to come in here when I'm training," she said.  
  
His eyes bugged out a little. "I'm assuming live fire?"  
  
She nodded. That made him feel faint. "I think I need to lie down," he said. They both walked out of the training room. "Oh, I almost forgot. There's a phone call for you."  
  
"I'll take it in my study," she said and walked off.  
  
"It's someone named Morrigan!" he yelled after her. She didn't respond.  
  
She spent a lot of time in her study. It contained many of her research books and very comfy couches. It was also a place where she and her father spent many afternoons in. The room had a great big bay window looking out into a lush green scenery from the second floor.  
  
"Hello?" she said through the phone.  
  
"Ms. Briefs?" said the male voice. "I've heard some interesting stories about you lately."  
  
"Oh, and you would be?" she asked although she already knew who it was.  
  
The voice laughed. "Oh, forgive me. My name is Morrigan. You have already heard of me," he stated, not asked.  
  
She remembered the encounter on the boat very well. "There seems to be some static on the line. It's a bit hard to understand you," she set the bait.  
  
"Damn cell phone companies, eh? They promise you crystal clear calls and what do you get. Heh, ha."  
  
"It's not so much static, your voice seems a bit muffled like you are trying to disguise your voice," she said flat out. There was a short silence on the other end.  
  
"Why would I be doing that? You already know who I am," the voice said, a bit of nervousness creeping in.  
  
She looked out the window at the sky; it looked like rain. "Yes, I do, but at the moment I am unsure of your gender," she said with a certain playfulness in her tone.  
  
The caller coughed. "Can't you tell? I'm a male, obviously," he said but it came out sounding like a lame excuse.  
  
"All right. We can play this little game of yours, if you want," she replied. By the sound the other person was not pleased at the way the conversation was going.  
  
"Ms. Briefs, I'm going to cut down to the chase here. The reason that I called was that I am interested in hiring you. There's no reason for us to compete with each other. I think we can help each other in this quest and have both of us reap the rewards of the prize. How 'bout it?"  
  
She thought for a moment. It was definitely a twist in her plan. Never had she expected for Morrigan to propose a joint venture. Of course, he or she would stab her in the back at the last second as all bad guys do in these kind of situations. But to pretend to be on his side for a while would make parts of her trip easier and perhaps she could squeeze some important information out of him, too.  
  
"Fine, but before I fully accept your generous offer I'm going to need all the information you have on this mission so that we're both on the same level," she stated her conditions.  
  
After a momentary pause he answered, "Agreed, but the same goes for you too, Ms. Briefs."  
  
"By fax?" she asked. He agreed and gave her the number. Within minutes both had each other's documents.  
  
"Hilary?" she called for her butler. He came over quickly. "Did you book the flight yet?"  
  
"Yes, you leave in two days to Jamaica," he said.  
  
"I'm also going to need a--"  
  
"--a boat? Already done. The captain's name is Calgary and the ship is called The Sweetness. He'll be waiting for you at the airport. I've also called the hotel and they have a lovely set of native dresses, just your size by the way, waiting for you in your room and a native tour guide who'll journey with you wherever you go as long as the price is right. Did I cover everything?"  
  
She smiled brightly. "Yes, thank you very much."  
  
"Glad to be of service," he said smugly and returned to his other household duties.  
  
--------  
  
The next day...  
  
Bulma got the results back from the lab technicians. They dated her recent find to within a decade or two. The year came as no surprise but the material it was made out of did. The plate only had trace amounts of bronze, which actually was made of a couple of different elements itself. The compounds were mostly unknown. Most civilizations during that time period regularly used similar mixtures and so it could be assumed that this plate was from none of those societies.  
  
'Maybe it wasn't made a group of people but one person,' she speculated, flipping the plate back and forth. 'Or even a group of people that have yet to be discovered. There's always that myth of Atlantis. No one has found their society yet. But that story was so farfetched, there had to be another explanation.'  
  
She picked up the faxed documents from yesterday. Apparently, Morrigan found another artifact similar to the one she was holding right now in the Mediterranean. The two plates together told the whole story:  
  
? Bring forth the eternal dragon, he who holds the power of the seven mystical orbs. ? But beware of the ancient curse, that block thee way and lead to certain death. ? For although the orbs grant thee one wish, one must prove himself worthy first. ? Seek the turtle hermit for the way, but be warned danger lies ahead.  
  
There were some extraneous markings, which could be numbers or names of places. She would have to study them more at a later time. For now, she took some photographs of the artifact so she can use it during the trip then put it away in a secured spot. Next she went to her room and began to pack.  
  
-----------  
  
A raven-haired woman sat in her office quietly going over the new information on her desk. She sat back in her chair and let out a frustrated sigh. The information she was searching for wasn't in these documents either. But it had to be on that other plate Ms. Briefs held, unless that bitch was holding something back from her. Well, then she would just have to get that plate from her and examine it herself.  
  
They were now partners but that didn't mean she had to play nice. Besides, Ms. Briefs wouldn't have to know it was her doing. She was clever though, maybe too clever for her own good. Already she suspected that 'Morrigan' was a female name. Most of her cronies were too stupid to figure it out or to even think of that. Not even the authorities suspected the truth, which was how she had been able to elude them for so long.  
  
The phone rang. It was one of her many associates on the line. "I have a new assignment for you. I need you to get the artifact from Ms. Briefs, silently," she told him then she hung up. They better not screw up this time, she thought.  
  
----------  
  
Sometime during the night...  
  
There were no lights on inside the Capsule Mansion. Not even the moon was shining that night. It was so dark that not even a passerby could spot the black figure scaling the perimeter wall that surrounded the main house. He jumped down on the other side and quietly proceeded toward the house. His infrared goggles showed no signs of guard dogs. So far, so good.  
  
He had blueprints to the house but had very little information on what each room was. So instead he decided to use some logic. The artifact would most likely be in the center of the house, perhaps even underneath the house. The plans didn't show any basement but that doesn't mean Ms. Briefs didn't have one; she may just have neglected to tell anyone about it.  
  
Breaking into the house was easier than he had thought, but then again he was a master thief. There probably wasn't a security code in the universe he couldn't break. He entered room after room until he accidentally stumbled onto an occupied one. It was the butler. That gave him an idea.  
  
"Wake-ee, up-ee," he whispered shaking the man semi-violently. Hilary woke with his eyes wide open and a look of panic clearly showing through. Unfortunately a gun pointed at his head prevented him from causing a ruckus.  
  
"Show me where the artifact is," the villain ordered. The two exited the bedroom and began the slow trek down the hallway as the floorboards had a tendency to squeak every now and then. The artifact was stored on the basement floor, unfortunately it was sealed shut and the poor butler had no knowledge of the passcode. "Your usefulness has passed," he explained and clunked him on the head knocking him unconscious. Then he unloaded his pack and drew out his tools.  
  
By casual glance the codebox looked nothing spectacular, a simple 4-number code which could be easily bypassed. He hooked the box to a machine and it figured out the code within seconds.  
  
"ACCESS DENIED," said a computer voice.  
  
"What?!" he exclaimed, confused. His machine was infallible. The code had to be correct. Next he picked up a screwdriver and pried open the box to get a look at the wiring beneath it. It led nowhere. "Damn, she tricked me." The codebox was a fake, a dummy, an illusion...  
  
"I'm afraid this door is voice activated," she explained as she walked up behind him with her guns pointed directly at his head. He felt the cold tip of the guns all too well and thus slowly got up off the floor with his hands raised.  
  
"How did you know I was here?" he asked as he was being led up the stairs to the first floor.  
  
"Silent alarm," was all she said and she raised her arm to hit him on the head but at the last second he moved.  
  
"You won't get me that easy, love," he said tossing a capsule to the floor. It exploded causing a huge billow of smoke to rise. She coughed at the noxious smell and tried to get her bearings. By the time the smoke cleared the intruder was gone. She quickly went back downstairs to check on Hilary. He was okay except for a little bruise on the head. She told him to go back to bed and rest.  
  
Their house doctor came the next day to check on him. He stubbornly refused to be checked on and kept trying to get back to his duties. It was after some fighting and arguing that they got him to sit still long enough for the good doctor to do a thorough check.  
  
"He seems just fine. A little stubborn, perhaps, but physically he's okay, although I would recommend some bed rest but I have a feeling he won't listen to me," said the doctor and left.  
  
"Now, are you going to be okay while I'm away," asked Bulma, who was extremely worried for his safety. She had even gone to the step of calling a private security guard to patrol the grounds at night.  
  
"Don't worry your little head about me. Go and enjoy. I'm sure you'll be in more danger than I," he said and shooed her out the roof and onto the helipad.  
  
"Take care of yourself," she said before the helicopter took off for the airport. They waved goodbye.  
  
---------  
  
"Uhh," he began.  
  
She stared at him through narrow slits. "Let me guess," her voice low and thunderous. "You didn't get the artifact." He merely nodded. She threw a paperweight at his head. "Idiot!" she shouted.  
  
She sat back in her chair to contemplate her next move. Obviously Zane had failed in his task. The man was a moron anyways. She thought even he would be able to do this simple assignment but perhaps she had underestimated Ms. Briefs. Pressing a button on her telephone she called for her top henchmen. She had a feeling she was going to need it.  
  
---------  
  
A dark figure crouched some distance away from the general crowd carefully monitoring everyone's movements. He looked down at the photo and located the person he was searching for. At the moment the person was surrounded by a couple of friends and so he waited. An hour passed and now that person was alone. Quietly he followed behind taking note of every behavior and gesture.  
  
The person apparently decided to take a shortcut through some narrow alleys. The dark figure was trailing behind and once he thought no one was watching he pulled out his silencer and popped the person in the back of the head. The victim never even knew what happened. Immediately after he dragged the body into a nearby dumpster and cleaned up any residual mess.  
  
Mission accomplished.  
  
---------  
  
The plane trip was uneventful for the most part. The passenger next to her tried to initiate small talk but before that person could open his mouth she promptly put on her headphones and listened to some grunge rock. He quickly got the idea that she did not wish to be disturbed. The plane experienced some turbulence but nothing serious. She had been in worse situations than that.  
  
She remembered couple of years ago when she flew down to Antarctica, the pilot ran into some trouble with the currents and their plane ended up crashing down on the icy ground. Fortunately she had managed to jump out before the crash. The pilot and couple of other passengers did not. She wasn't sure if it was sheer luck or skill that was keeping her alive but whatever it was she hoped she never lose it.  
  
Everyone around her began shifting. They were about to land, she guessed and fastened her seatbelt. She looked out her tiny window and was partially in awe. It had been awhile since she'd been in a tropical environment. The last few places she'd been were an underwater cave, frozen tundra, and Indian snake pits, don't ask.  
  
Reaching up she grabbed her one and only carry-on and slung it across one shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me," someone said as the woman hurried passed Bulma. Unfortunately Bulma couldn't move to the side fast enough and they bumped slightly into each other. The woman dropped a couple of documents.  
  
"Let me help you with those," Bulma offered but the woman violently shook her head.  
  
"No, no. I got it," she replied snatching them up as if they were pieces of gold. That caused Bulma to be a little suspicious. She peered down at the papers but the only thing she saw was the word 'dragon.' The woman was already moving down the line before she could get another word out.  
  
'Could she be somehow connected to this?' thought Bulma thinking of the plate she had just translated.  
  
When she finally got out onto the meeting area the mysterious woman was gone. She looked around and noticed a young man waving at her. He walked toward her.  
  
"Ms. Briefs?"  
  
"Yes," she replied.  
  
He took out his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yamcha. I'll be your tour guide," he announced. She shook his hand politely and asked to be escorted to her hotel room.  
  
"Wasn't the Captain suppose to meet me here?" she inquired as they hailed a vehicle.  
  
The young man explained that the Captain had come down with a slight cold and so he stayed in bed today. She was worried whether he would be able to man the boat but he reassured her that the cold was not serious and that the Captain should be all well by tomorrow. When they reached the hotel he gave her a number where he could be reached and said he would be back later to check on her and give her a tour of the town if she wished.  
  
"Thank you," she said and shut the door. She looked around the room and found a nice spot to sit down. After pulling out all her things from her backpack she set to work. Half an hour later she decided to plug in her laptop for extra information.  
  
First she tried searching for any information on the myth of the turtle hermit but the search brought zero results. A lot of myths around here were spread by word of mouth so it was possible that the story never got written down anywhere. So then she tried deciphering the other marks on the artifact. The photocopies had been blown up to show more detail. The marks could be numbers like coordinates on a map. She tried checking to see if the numbers matched up with any known landmark. Nothing turned up though. Then she thought maybe it was a code or password but that would be hard to verify. After working on it for hours she decided to take a break and get some fresh air.  
  
The hotel had a courtesy vehicle that took her into the heart of the city. Before she had left though she remembered to change her clothes to more native gear. It matched her figure perfectly. She could almost fit in with everyone else except for the fact she insisted on wearing her sunglasses.  
  
"Pretty lady! Pretty lady need pretty necklace!" a shopkeeper yelled out. She tilted her head and walked up to the stall.  
  
With a smile she asked, "So what are you selling?"  
  
He smiled back broadly. "Ah, pretty lady. I have many things, pretty things. You like?" he pulled out a necklace and presented it to her. She wasn't really the jewelry-wearing type but she suppose couple of souvenirs couldn't hurt. She tried it on and asked for the price.  
  
"For you, pretty lady, only 500 American dollars," he said proudly.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. Actually she wasn't an American but she let that slide by. "Here's 10," she said.  
  
"Oh no, but this is fine necklace. Very expensive. Very rare. 100 dollars," he bargained.  
  
She reached into her purse and took out some cash. "Twenty dollars, my final offer," she said. "Plus I want that turtle pin."  
  
He looked back to where she was pointing and paused. "Okay, okay. You hard sell. I have wife and 7 kids. They work so hard to make this," he told her after giving her the pin.  
  
She pulled out an extra bill. "Here, 25 and no more."  
  
"Ah, thank you, lovely goddess. May you have blessing from the sky," he said his arms flaying out. She rolled her eyes but still had a bright smile on her face. That was most enjoyable even though she had just been ripped off. The stalls targeted her also but she passed by them without purchasing anything. But one of the stalls on the other end peaked her interest. The man was selling turtle souvenirs. She pointed to one of them and asked what it was.  
  
"That is a charm. Brings you good luck. It's from the actual back of the turtle hermit," he explained. She looked skeptical.  
  
"How much?"  
  
"Very rare," he told her. "80 dollars."  
  
"50."  
  
"65," he said.  
  
"60," she said and he agreed. Although she was probably overpaying the object was intricately carved.  
  
Back at the hotel she hopped into the tub to relax. She held up the turtle charm. The man at the booth told her of the legend of the turtle hermit. The plot varied slightly from her butler's version but still said that the hermit lived on an island off to the east. Supposedly this charm piece came off of the hermit's shell as he was fleeing the village or something like that. The story seemed farfetched especially since after she left he secretly pulled out another one exactly like this one and put it on display. She had gone about and inquired quite a few people about the legend but they basically told her the same thing she already knew. There was a local library around here so she decided to check that out later today or early tomorrow.  
  
Thump.  
  
Her head perked up immediately as she heard that sound. Was someone in her room? She started getting suspicious for what she did could become dangerous business so she always tried to be on alert. Thankfully she had her guns nearby; she wrapped herself in a huge towel and quietly left the bathroom. She was in a short hallway which led out to the living space of the hotel room. From her position she detected a slight shadow moving away from her. Silently she stalked it until a face could be placed with that shadow.  
  
Her guns clicked once and she was ready to fire with deadly seriousness in her eyes. "Ahh! Hold it! Don't shoot!" the male voice screamed.  
  
She didn't lower her arms or lose her focus. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked, her voice low but firm.  
  
"Hey, remember I said I'd come back later to check on you. The door was already open so I decided to check it out," explained Yamcha. The room was a mess, papers strewn everywhere. It seemed she had been raided. Fortunately the 'burglars' didn't get anything important since she was looking at those papers in the tub.  
  
"Uh, could you...?"  
  
She looked at him then put her guns away. Next she went toward the door to check for any forced entry. Yamcha made a couple of strange sounds and turned away.  
  
"Ah, maybe you should get dressed first," he told her, refusing to look in her general direction.  
  
His reaction amused her. "Why do I have the feeling you're blushing?" she teased. She was proud of her body, not that she would go around and show it to everyone publicly but at the moment nothing was even being shown. He was at a loss of words and still seemed ill at ease so she went into the private bedroom to dress.  
  
"Is this better?" she asked him as she came back out. He nodded with a sigh of relief. She was unsure how to judge his reaction. Most men she'd ever met would've jumped at the chance to be near her in just her bath towel. A part of her couldn't help but admire his shyness.  
  
"So what happened here?" he asked. She shrugged. The door was free of any marks or scratches leading her to believe the intruder had an access key or perhaps stole one from the hotel staff. It took the two about an hour to clean up the mess and get the room back to orderly shape.  
  
"How's the Captain doing?" she asked some time later.  
  
"He's doing better. He said he'd be ready to sail as early as tomorrow morning," he told her then changed the subject. "Are you sure it's safe for you to stay here tonight?"  
  
"Why?" she began with bitter sarcasm. "Would you like to keep me company?"  
  
He actually shook his head. That took her back for a moment. She had been sure that was a come-on.  
  
"I was thinking that I would stay outside your door just in case anyone tried to break in again," he explained, unaware of her surprise.  
  
"Uh, that's okay. I can handle myself," she finally said after a somewhat long pause. He nodded understandingly and left her alone. She sat down on the couch; she needed time to think for a second or two.  
  
'He is kinda cute,' her mind said directly. She tried to push those obtrusive thoughts out of her head but the more she tried the more she found herself thinking about him.  
  
"This is just business," she said to herself. "Merely business. Nothing else. Why do I not believe myself?"  
  
Rather than continuing those thoughts she decided to go back out again, this time to the local library. It was just a one-room building, sparsely filled with more reference books than fictional ones. The librarian was a stout, middle age man with dark brown skin slightly wrinkled from being out in the sun. She looked on the shelf where the librarian had pointed out but found that the book was missing. Looking around she noticed another person in the room.  
  
Bulma stepped back in surprise. It was that woman from the plane and she had the book Bulma wanted. Her suspicions grew further. She pretended to browse through the other books while keeping tabs on that woman. Half an hour later the woman left leaving the book on the reading table. Bulma casually went over and sat down.  
  
Looking through the book she found couple of pencil marks. The book itself wasn't very interesting. Most of the facts she already knew but one thing that did seem important was the vague reference to ancient numerology. She quickly jotted down the notes. Maybe these would help her interpret the rest of the two plates. 


	3. Island Paradise

Isle of the Turtle Hermit  
  
Chapter 2: Island Paradise  
  
They took off early in the morning before the sun was fully up. The ship's crew was made mostly of Jamaican natives, Yamcha, and herself. She spent the beginning of the trip on the top deck taking in the sweet, salty air. Last night she made a slight breakthrough, at least she hoped it was a breakthrough. She wouldn't exactly know if her intuitions were correct until they reached their destination. She was able to interpret the symbols using an archaic numeral system that was created by a tribe somewhere in the Pacific. That was as far back as historians could trace the origin but the evidence was so sparse the scientists could be totally wrong.  
  
"So what do you think is out there?" asked Yamcha coming up from behind her.  
  
She lightly shrugged. "If we're lucky an undiscovered island." To her great delight he chose not to continue the conversation and just left. She didn't feel like talking to anyone at that moment. She needed her alone-time, that's what Hilary would call it.  
  
The Captain came by and said they were close to the coordinates she had given him. She went down to gather her things. As she was climbing back up she heard shouting but there was a strong wind blowing so all she could make out was one word, 'Ague.'  
  
A storm appeared out of nowhere and heavy rains began to fall. Immediately she was drenched from head to toe. The medium-sized boat rocked back and forth but out of some miracle it had yet to tip over. Everyone rushed to find a life jacket, unfortunately there wasn't enough to go around. The wind mixed with the rain and slight fog made everything difficult to see. She thought she could make out Yamcha at the far end of the boat but she couldn't be sure. She hung on to the rail and tried to move with the boat. A gigantic swell developed and came pounding down on the ship. Try as she might she couldn't hang on and she slipped across the deck and fell into the ocean.  
  
Her mind went into overdrive as she struggled to stay afloat. The best thing to do was not to panic. 'Just keep kicking,' she told herself. She couldn't tell which way was up or down but she kept kicking and moving. Her head finally broke through and she took a much needed breath. Then another swell came and sucked her under. This went on for a few minutes, she was losing strength. Soon it was too much for her and she blacked out.  
  
----------  
  
When she regained consciousness she found herself lying on a beach with sand in her mouth. She spit it out and washed her face lightly with the sea water. Her bag was soaked and the papers inside was undoubtedly ruined. Her legs were still a bit wobbly. She looked up at the sky, a perfectly blue sky. The storm was over. She wondered how the boat and her crew fared. With no way to signal the outside world she questioned how she was going to get off this island. Hopefully it was inhabited by someone with a satellite phone.  
  
She marched forward into the dense jungle-like forest and no clear destination in mind. It was near mid-day when she found a fresh water lake. She greedily slurped the cool water and washed the rest of the sand off her body and hair. As she was getting ready to take off her shirt to wash it she heard a noise from the left. At first she dismissed it as an animal but when she heard it again it began to sound more like a person. She changed her mind about stripping and went around to look for the intruder.  
  
After a bit of sneaking around she located the body of the man that was spying on her. She walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.  
  
"Peek-a-boo," she said to him and he nearly jumped out of his clothes.  
  
"Goodness, I almost peed my pants," he said. "Hahahaha."  
  
He was an elderly man with a crooked back and long white beard. "Are you the turtle hermit?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"That's me! Yeah!"  
  
He was overenthusiastic. Probably haven't seen another human being in who knows how long. She didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or to shoot the pathetic thing. It didn't escape her notice that he was paying too much attention to her womanly figure.  
  
"So, honey, what can the hermit help you with?"  
  
He led her to his home which was basically a crude hut made of sticks. She pulled out the wet papers from her bag. The words were mostly washed away but she could still make out a picture of the plates. She pointed to them and asked him what he knew about them.  
  
"The plates mention a turtle hermit. I'm assuming that's you. It says you know the way to the dragon," she said to him.  
  
"Hmm," he stroked his beard, "let me see. Ahh, the dragonballs. I haven't thought of those in such a long time. I was only a wee lad when I stumbled upon them."  
  
"Dragonballs?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Yes, yes, the dragonballs. Are you deaf? That's where the eternal dragon lives or actually that's where he--well nevermind about that. When I was a boy I came across the seven dragonballs," he sighed. "I made a wish."  
  
Her eyes widened. "So it does grant wishes?"  
  
He nodded. "I was so stupid. I wished for immortality. Well as you can see, it came true. I've been alive for five hundred years...or was it six hundred. Maybe it's only been one hundred. Haha, can you believe it? I've lost count. I don't even know how old I am. But none of that matters. What good is living forever if you still grow old and feeble...and alone. *Sigh*."  
  
She really did feel sorry for him but then what could she do. "Where can I find them?"  
  
"I'll tell you but first...you have to take off your clothes," he announced. She punched him in the face. After that he was more cooperative. He also gave her a boat she could use to get back to the mainland.  
  
"I was the last person to make a wish on the dragonballs. Nearly killed me to get them, but I did it. Here's a map. It's not exact," he handed her a piece of parchment. She felt the material.  
  
"Papyrus," she said to herself.  
  
"Smart girl. Oh, before I forget, whenever someone makes a wish the dragonballs become inactive for another um what was it...a thousand years I think...no that can't be right. Well, I don't know. My memory is not what it used to be. They also move to a new location."  
  
She thanked him for all the information and got into the boat.  
  
"I don't have to tell you that it'll be a dangerous journey. Beware the Saiyan!" he called out as she pulled out to the sea.  
  
In the back of her mind she wondered what a Saiyan was but it was too late to go back and ask. The tide had pulled the boat too far out and she didn't have enough gas to dilly dally.  
  
As soon as she got back to civilization she contacted the nearest airport and took off to her next destination: Egypt.  
  
---------  
  
The storm was fierce but soon passed away. The boat was all turned around. They've been moved miles away from where they were. If Ms. Briefs did survive there was no way they'd be able to find her now. Morrigan was not going to be pleased.  
  
"Shit," he cursed. Although technically she was his enemy he still felt a twinge in his chest thinking about her lying dead somewhere. She was the most beautiful assignment he'd ever had. If only things were different, if they weren't on different sides...maybe something could have happened. "Oh, well."  
  
He took out his satellite phone and relayed the latest news to his boss.  
  
"Get back home immediately. We're going to plan B," she ordered then slammed down the phone in anger. He hung up and ordered the crew back to Jamaica. As they got closer to the port he could see some authorities milling around. He hung back on the boat making sure no one could see him from the shore. The police might have found the body he had killed couple of nights ago. The body of the 'real guide' for Ms. Briefs.  
  
Rather than waiting for the boat to dock he jumped overboard and swam away. The crew scratched their heads and stared at him in confusion.  
  
When he arrived back to home base she ordered him to go raid Ms. Brief's house again.  
  
"Take Zane with you," she said as he was on his way out. He grimaced but kept quiet.  
  
This time he headed the group rather than Zane who was second-in-command. He signaled the group to move forward. First he took out the security cameras, then the laser sensors. The guard dogs let out a racket but he quickly shot them with a silencer. With only the butler in the house it was easy picking to get in and restrain him. They used an explosive to blow open the door and took the plates out of the treasure room.  
  
"Well that was easy," said Zane who remembered his last attempt to break into the treasure room. Yamcha frowned and put the plates in his bag. He heard a light click behind him and on some instinct he ducked. Within milliseconds a barrage of bullets came flying through and half the men were killed. Zane somehow managed to survive to Yamcha's dismay and they both ran out of there with only a handful of people left following right behind them.  
  
Hilary had managed to activate the automatic security system for the treasure room. It had built in guns that could pump out 50 to 100 bullets a minute. As he sat there all tied up he wondered where the damn police were.  
  
The police found Hilary tied up in the bedroom the next day. He bitched them out for getting there so late and then called someone to re-rig the security system. He looked around at all the mess the burglars left behind and let out a long breath. It was going to be a long day.  
  
------------- A/N: That was a short chapter. I'll try to make the next one longer. Please review. ( 


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